Between The Lines: If I Only Knew Then
by ee-ii-ee-ii-oo
Summary: A sequel of sorts to my last story "If I Only Knew Then." Short, stand-alone scenes that take place within the context of the final chapter of that story ... and possibly beyond. Chapter 1: Telling Rayna ...
1. Telling Rayna

**Between the Lines: If I Only Knew**

Chapter 1

So, here is the thing... When I was writing "If I Only Knew Then" I kind of made the mistake of falling in love with Little Evie. From the reviews and PMs I got the impression that you readers did too, so I decided that a sequel of sorts was necessary. I re-read the last chapter of that story and realized that there are some blanks that could be filled in. What came from that thought process was a series of vignettes, just short scenes that take place within the context of the last chapter of "IIOKT." I have the first two mostly written, and few more almost complete. The first two both take place between Avery's release from the hospital and Evie's birth. What the rest will be, I'm not 100% sure. They may or may not be in order, but I will make it clear in each installment where they fall into the story. And yes, there will be some more super cute moments with Evie as this progresses, I promise.

So let me know what you think in the review section.

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

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Avery leaned against the soundboard and watched nervously as Rayna listened intently to the song for the first time. She sat in the leather office chair, no expression on her face. He glanced up and met Juliette's stare as she perched on the edge of the sofa behind her label head. He could tell she was as tense as he was. Both took a deep breath as the song ended.

For a few seconds, there was silence. Then Rayna spun the chair around and looked at Juliette as a grin spread across her face. "That is the best work you've ever done." Both Avery and Juliette breathed an audible sigh of relief. "The emotion, the lyrics, the production. I've never heard anything like it. It's fresh and unique ... you're going to turn Nashville and country radio on its ear with this record if you keep churning out things like this."

Juliette smiled and looked over at Avery, pride in her eyes. "Glad you think so."

"I know so," Rayna said as she stood and grabbed her purse from the floor at her feet. "I can't wait to hear more."

Avery nodded. "We'll have a few more songs ready by the beginning of next week."

She turned her attention to the producer with surprise. "You know there's no rush. It's only been a week since you got out of the hospital." Both Juliette and Avery had appreciated Rayna's concern during the ordeal, despite dealing with her own struggles at the same time. She and Luke had split and the media had been hounding her tirelessly. But Rayna kept it all in perspective, constantly checking in with Juliette and asking how Avery was recovering. "You should be taking things easy."

Avery looked over at Juliette. She had been planning to tell Rayna about the baby, but the opportunity hadn't presented itself until that moment. Taking a deep breath she finally spoke up. "Actually, there ... uh ... kind of is. A rush, I mean."

The older woman's forehead wrinkled in confusion. "What are you talking about?"

"Um ... well, with a record comes photoshoots and appearances ... and I don't think you want me doing that," Juliette paused as she glanced over to Avery, who was suddenly very interested in a spot on the ground near his feet, "with a big belly and stretch marks."

Rayna's eyes grew to the size of saucers as Juliette's words sank in. She looked over at Avery, then back to Juliette. "You're pregnant?!"

The blonde bit her bottom lip and nodded. "Yeah. The other option would be to wait another six months until afterwards and I don't think my career can take that." She paused, meeting Rayna's shocked stare, willing her to understand her request. "So if it's okay with you, I'd like to set a release date for a single at least within the next month or two. We could save the album release for after the baby comes, but I really feel like we need to get a single out sooner rather than later."

Rayna took in a deep breath and sat back down, motioning for Avery to join Juliette on the sofa. It was clear to both of them that the wheels in her mind were spinning at that moment and they weren't exactly sure what to expect. "Okay, you do realize that the media is going to be all over this, right?"

An exasperated sigh made its way from Juliette's lips. "I know. But Rayna ... what else can they say about me that they haven't already said?"

It was a sad reality of how far Juliette had fallen, and Rayna knew that. It wasn't a secret to anyone that Juliette wasn't some virginal innocent. And really, her reputation couldn't get much worse than it already had, with the shoplifting and the broken engagement, her status as a homewrecker and the ridiculous atheism claim, not to mention the scandalous circumstances surrounding her mother's death. This would cause a stir, but probably not to the level that it would have in the past. Unless ... Rayna took in a deep breath, hating the words that she was about to say. "I hate to ask, but you know I have to..."

Before she could continue, Juliette held up a hand, halting her boss' questioning. "You don't have to ask," she said, looking over at the man sitting quietly beside her. "The baby is Avery's. I'm about 10 weeks along. I was already pregnant the night of the BMI party."

Rayna couldn't help the relief she felt and knew that it was obvious on her face. "Okay. So that is one issue that we can avoid. Thank God. What are y'all going to do? Personally, I mean."

Juliette glanced back over at Avery, who smiled at her reassuringly. The interaction was not lost on Rayna. "We're going to raise this baby together. That much we know. The rest of it ... we're just going to figure out as we go along."

"You know what the PR team is going to say when I tell them. Especially when I tell them that you want to launch a single about the time you would really start showing," Rayna said, eyebrows raised expectantly.

"Yes, and we aren't getting married just to please the media," she said, rolling her eyes. "That wouldn't be fair to us or the baby. Look, Rayna, I've thought about this a lot. We both have, and we've talked about it. It's a private issue and we don't want the entire world knowing our business. Especially once the baby gets here. I don't want a media storm."

The country legend smiled, thinking back fourteen years into the past, remembering all those same emotions. Except she _had_ gotten married, which ultimately probably hadn't been the best decision she had ever made, at least in the way she went about it. She didn't wish that kind of heartache on anyone, Juliette and Avery included. She smiled at the young pair and placed a hand gently on Juliette's knee. "We've got some time to figure this out. Why don't you guys come over to the house tomorrow night. Bring Glenn and I'll have Bucky and Tandy there, and some of the folks from marketing and public relations and we'll hash all of this out."

"Um, sure. Sounds good." They both nodded their response.

Rayna once again stood to leave as a smile appeared. "I probably should have said this first, but congratulations. To both of you." She turned and headed out of the studio leaving Avery and Juliette in her wake.

"That could have been worse," Avery finally said as he released a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding.

"Yep," she said nodding as she stood to her feet, knowing they had another few hours of work left to do before they were done for the day. She paused, hesitant about mentioning it to him, but she realized that wasn't really fair. "By the way, before I forget, I have a doctor's appointment tomorrow with my obstetrician. They're going to check the baby's heartbeat. You, um, are welcome to come if you'd like." He stared back at her and she couldn't help but feel a little let down as she saw a moment of fear and pause in his eyes. She quickly looked away, trying to hide the hurt she suddenly felt. "I mean you don't have to ..."

"Hey," he said softly as she felt his hand on her shoulder. "I'll be there. I wouldn't miss it."

She couldn't stop the word from flying out of her mouth, emotions getting the better of her. "Then what the hell was that reaction? You looked like you'd rather walk on glass than be there."

He took a breath, choosing his words carefully as he moved around to meet her stare. "This is new for me too," he said softly. "And it's scary, Juliette. Hearing the heartbeat will make it that much more real. I told you I wasn't going anywhere, and I'm not. I'm right here and I will be next to you in that doctor's office tomorrow. But you've had a lot longer to get used to the idea of having a baby than I have. I can't help but wonder if I'm even cut out to be a father, all things considered. But I'm going to do my best."

Juliette felt ashamed, disappointed in herself for not trusting him. She should have learned her lesson about that, considering what happen last time she didn't have enough faith in him. "I'm sorry. I know you're trying. I haven't made this easy for you. I'll do better."

"You're doing fine. We are doing fine. We'll get through this, but you have to trust me." She nodded, a smile slowly making it's way back to her face, as he continued. "So, what do you say we get some more vocals down? We'll deal with tomorrow when it happens."

"Okay.


	2. The Trial

**Between the Lines: If I Only Knew Then**

**Chapter 2: The Trial**

Someone mentioned the stalker storyline, so I decided to follow that in this chapter. Don't worry. It's not without its J/A goodness. The second vignette in the series.

I still own nothing. ABC, Callie, et al, do...

Enjoy and let me know your thoughts on this chapter.

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It was yet another case of really bad timing, something that Juliette could swear followed her like a dog wherever she went. The release of "Take Me With You" was scheduled for the same week as the trial of John A. Smith. There was no way to change either date, despite best efforts. Both challenges would have to be faced head on. And then there was, of course the issue of her rapidly growing baby bump. She could have sworn it had grown overnight the night before.

The long lens cameras and the video equipment lined the sidewalk at the entrance to the downtown courthouse. They had been amazed at the interest in the case and Juliette's name had been in the news for days leading up to it. The single had dropped to radio just two days before and was doing extremely well... far better than her most recent efforts. She knew it was best to just accept success rather than question the motives of the radio programmers who may have just used the single to have the DJs talk about the trial.

Bo opened the door of the SUV and helped Juliette down from the back seat. She turned around, away from the flashbulbs that had all gone off simultaneously, and watched as Avery stepped out of the vehicle behind her. Her eyes went wide at the mob scene around them and he could tell that it was unsettling to her. It was to both of them, really. He had been under constant scrutiny as the victim of the brutal attack and his life had been disrupted on more than one occasion by reporters calling him for interviews, which he adamantly refused to do. It had gotten to the point where Glenn was basically running interference for him as well.

As the bodyguard, along with Glenn and their team of expensive lawyers led them inside, shouts of their names and intrusive questions could be heard from the crowd. Somehow, amongst the chaos, they heard someone, a sharp-eyed reporter or paparazzi, shout out the question they had been dreading and anticipating but had hoped to avoid through the trial that was expected to last two weeks. "Juliette are you pregnant?!"

They all knew that it was a matter of time before Juliette's secret came out, but she had dressed to hide the bump and was surrounded by the others, so as to avoid a close up. So the question came as a surprise. As she tucked the large navy coat around her a little more securely, they all kept walking, ignoring the question. But it had been said loud enough that the others in the crowd heard it and the murmurs and the flashbulbs began to increase immediately. Juliette glanced at Avery as he gently placed a hand on her back and they climbed the steps that lead inside the courthouse.

The doors to the building closed behind them and as the lawyers immediately headed into the courtroom, Juliette froze. "Oh my God," was all she could whisper as a look of panic spread across her face.

Avery looked in her eyes and could tell that she was shaken. "Are you okay?" His stare met hers and he was worried that she might pass out.

"I thought we could keep it hidden," she said, shaking slightly.

"We don't know who it was that asked. It could be someone who got tipped off," Glenn responded, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder and ushered her over into a hallway away from the large windows of the entrance.

With Avery following silently behind, Juliette followed her manager. She was shaking like a leaf. "We've done such a good job at keeping it quiet, though. Is Rayna here?"

The click of heels against tile were heard approaching. "I'm right here." They all looked over to find Highway 65's top executive, dressed in a sleek grey suit, walking toward them. "What happened? Bo came and got me."

Glenn glanced down at Juliette with concern, like a father would for his daughter. "Someone asked if she was pregnant. The whole crowd heard."

Rayna was silent but nodded, clearly thinking through the next steps that would have to be taken to protect Juliette, the baby and Avery. "Okay. We can handle this. We'll be here in the court room all day. No cameras are allowed inside, so we've got time to get Bucky, Ellen and the rest of the PR team on this. They can try and track down how this got out and finalize how we handle it. We've already got plans in place. You know that. It's going to be fine."

The younger woman looked up, and Rayna could see her eyes brimming with tears. "Yeah, but we thought we'd have more time."

"Unfortunately, the media wasn't informed of our timetable. It's out there and the media will be speculating no matter what. We can't change that now." She looked at Juliette, then over to Avery briefly, as she put a comforting arm around her protege. "Look, honey, we've got to deal with one challenge at a time. Right now, for you, it's this trial. Let Bucky and the team deal with the media right now. You cannot let yourself get stressed out about it. That isn't good for you and it isn't good for that baby. So trust me, we will handle it. Do you trust me?" Juliette nodded, still fighting the tears. "Okay. Let's go."

Rayna led the way into the courtroom, where Avery's parents, Emily and Deacon were already seated on the second row. Juliette, Avery and Glenn followed Rayna to the front row of seats directly behind the District Attorney's desk. The room was filled with reporters, but no cameras were permitted inside the room and no media questions were allowed. It was clear that the reporters in the audience weren't gossip columnists, but Juliette was fairly certain that the legal reporters in their stuffy suits had been informed of the chaos outside. She could tell by the way they looked at her when she had walked in. It was probably all over Twitter by now. Or maybe she was just self conscious. She shook the thought away as movement drew her attention to the side of the room.

She felt Avery tense up beside her as the deputies escorted John Smith into the courtroom. They had seen the man's mug shot, as it had been plastered all over the news. He didn't look like an obsessive, homicidal stalker. The tall, lanky redhead looked more like a clean cut insurance salesman in his cheap tan suit and glasses. But when his striking green eyes met Juliette's, she couldn't suppress the shiver that made its way through her body. It was as if pure evil somehow inhabited this otherwise unassuming body.

The deputies sat the defendant in the chair across the room next to his court-appointed attorneys. Juliette could hear Diane behind her softly sniffling as she was taken back to the fear of that night, of possibly losing her son forever. She glanced over at Avery, who sat stone still, staring directly ahead. He hadn't been able to even look up at the man who had so brutally and violently attacked him. She subtly reached for his hand squeezing it when their fingers linked. She could almost feel the fear coursing through him as he gripped her palm tighter.

The prosecution presented its opening statements first, and they had been warned that this would likely take the entire morning. The defense would present in the afternoon. The DA has also warned them that it would be then that the evidence, namely the photographs found on Mr. Smith's hard drive, would be shown to the courtroom for the first time. Toward the end of the statements, a projector was turned on and the lights in the courtroom were dimmed. On the screen, the most damning of the photos were presented, originals side-by-side with the images the defendant had edited.

Both Avery and Juliette could only look for a moment, both devastated at the invasion of privacy. The intimacy of the moments in the photographs was obvious to all in the courtroom. And now they would be described in minute detail on every website, in every newspaper and magazine across the country.

The judge immediately called a break for lunch after the photographs were presented, and Rayna rushed them all up to a room that Teddy had secured for them to again ensure privacy. No one could really eat, and only small talk was being made. Anything to avoid the topic of what had just transpired in the courtroom. Juliette quietly excused herself to the bathroom down the hall, unable to take the near silence for much longer. Walking back, she glanced into what appeared to be some kind of library. Shelves of books lined the wall and two sturdy wooden tables sat parallel in the middle of the room. A familiar figure stood next to the window, looking out the third story over the courthouse entrance.

"Are they still out there?" she asked, voice at barely more than a whisper.

Avery turned to find her standing in the middle of the room. "Not as many. Still some though."

She scoffed, rolling her eyes at the predictability of the media. "Of course they are." She moved closer and leaned against the other side of the large window so she could face him. "So ... that was decidedly uncomfortable."

"No kidding. I'm never going to be able to look my parents in the eyes again," Avery said, shooting a wry smile in Juliette's direction. "How are you holding up?"

"I'm fine. I mean, having a room full of reporters and friends and your family seeing me naked isn't exactly how I like to spend my free time, but whatever. If it puts him behind bars for the rest of his life, then it's okay by me." She was met with silence. She knew her joke fell flat, but it was more than that bothering him. She could tell there was something weighing heavily on his mind, and had been all day. "Avery, what's wrong?"

"I don't know. I guess I'm just worried about how all this will look to her ten or 15 years from now," he said pointing to her belly. "I just hate that it's gotten so much public attention. It's dumb, I know."

"No, it's not dumb. I've been thinking about the same thing. I'm certainly no expert, but I think that's what it means to be a parent. You're worried about how your choices, your circumstances are going to impact our daughter one day. It's a scary thought. I'm terrified of having to explain why there is a video out there of me stealing nail polish or why her grandmother killed a man. I think it comes along with the territory."

"That doesn't make it any easier."

"Nope." She smiled up at him, subconsciously rubbing her belly. Her back straightened when she felt the movement against her palm. "Give me your hand."

He raised an eyebrow at her command, but held out his hand toward her. She took it and placed on her belly. For a moment, Avery felt nothing and awkwardness was beginning to set in. But then suddenly, a soft flutter moved below his hand. He looked up from the spot to her eyes. "Was that her?"

Juliette nodded.

Their eye contact held and there was a spark, something electric between them that they both felt. They both knew they could blame it on the stress of the trial or the emotion of him feeling their child move within her, but it was bigger than both of those things. It was that intangible connection they had still, even after their heartbreaking split and the harsh realities that followed. Neither knew it still existed until that moment.

"Juliette!" Emily's voice was heard just a few seconds before she appeared in the doorway. It was just enough time for the former couple to jump apart from each other. "There you both are! The judge gave a ten minute warning. Time to head back down."

"Okay, thanks," Juliette responded.

And as if the last two minutes had never happened, they followed her back downstairs, both trying to forget. Neither could.

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**Don't forget to review!**


	3. Bed Rest

**Between the Lines: If I Only Knew Then**

**Chapter 3: Bedrest**

I wanted to do a chapter that dealt with Juliette's fears about becoming a mother and I wanted to bring Maddie into this, so it worked out like this. Enjoy! I actually am already working on the next installment, so hopefully this will be a 2 chapter weekend because I want to get to Little Miss Evie soon!

Same disclaimers, etc...

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Bedrest.

It was a word that she hadn't given much thought to during her fairly easy pregnancy. But that was before early contractions sent her to the emergency room and a night of observation at the hospital nearly eight weeks before her due date. The thought of the baby coming early was a fear she'd never felt before. Avery had been preparing for a show with Deacon an hour or so outside of Nashville when it had happened but as soon as she had called him, both men immediately headed back to the city. She had burst into tears as soon as Avery walked in the room and he spent the entire night in the uncomfortable chair next to he bed.

Her doctor let her go home the next morning, but only after giving her strict bedrest orders, which Juliette immediately agreed to, and Avery and Emily promised to make sure it happened. But really, it was instinctual, the desire to do everything possible to protect her baby.

That still didn't make it enjoyable. After three and a half weeks of moving between her bed and the sofa, standing only for quick showers and to get up to pee, she was beginning to loathe bedrest. All she could think about was being outside or going shopping. Anything. She was bored out of her mind and couldn't bear the thought of another four weeks of lying on her back, scanning the tv for something new to watch. She had 300 channels ... how was it possible that there was absolutely nothing watchable on any of them. For lack of anything better, she'd spent most of her time watching documentaries on PBS. She rolled her eyes thinking how she probably learned more in the past 3 weeks than she did when she was in school.

But she was nearing the end of the journey. That day was a milestone. She was officially one month from her due date. She had an appointment with her doctor later that week and had been told that the doctor might take some of the restrictions off for the rest of her pregnancy. She couldn't wait.

As she stretched as best she could from her place on the sofa, she stared out the window at the rain falling outside on the chilly, dreary afternoon. She ran her hand over her bulging belly, feeling a kick just beneath her ribs. "Come on, now, baby girl. Don't kick your mama like that," she said with a sigh.

Emily appeared from the kitchen. "Did you need something?"

Juliette looked up at her assistant, who had been more than accommodating during the past few weeks, to the point of basically moving into one of the guest rooms so that Juliette wouldn't be alone at night. "Nope, just trying to get her to stop fighting with my internal organs. I think she's got a temper."

"Hmm ... wonder who she gets that from?" Emily grinned at her friend, but Juliette shot her an exasperated look, wiping the smile right off her face. Seeing movement in the front drive, the brunette moved to the table and grabbed her purse. "Maddie's dad just dropped her off. I'm going to run to the grocery store and do a few other errands. Any requests?"

Juliette thought for a second, then nodded. "More strawberries, if we're out."

"We are," Emily confirmed as she added it to her shopping list on her phone. "You ate the whole container within 24 hours of my last trip to the store. I'm on it. I'll be back in a few hours. Maddie will be here until five and Avery said he's coming by a little later."

"Okay, I'll be fine."

Without another word, Emily opened the door and let Maddie in, greeting her with a smile as she quickly exited.

"Hey," Juliette said to Maddie as the fourteen year old walked into the living room, guitar case and notebook in hand. When Juliette had been put on bedrest, Rayna and the girls had come by for a visit and Maddie had volunteered to come by and keep her company regularly. Her visits had become the highlight of Juliette's bed-bound time. The girl tried to come by two or three times a week, whenever someone could drop her off. If it was her mom or Deacon, they usually came in for a while too. But it was Teddy's day. And while the Mayor had been extremely kind to her in the past, she really didn't know him. But he always told Maddie to tell Juliette he said hello and to let him know if there was anything he could do for her. Juliette appreciated that.

"Hey! How are you feeling?" The teenager walked in and took her regular spot on a nearby chair.

Juliette frowned and rolled her eyes."Eh, I'm okay. Just tired of sitting here," she said as she wiggled herself into a slightly more upright position, pulling at the pillows behind her.

"I'm sorry," Maddie responded with a sympathetic look in her eyes, clearly wanting to help, but not knowing how.

The older woman shook her head as a smile naturally found its way to her face. "It will be worth it. I'm cranky and ready for this bedrest to be over. I just want her to be here and not wrestling with my insides." Maddie laughed slightly as she bent to pull her guitar from its case. She began to pluck a solemn tune as a frown found its way onto her face. Juliette could tell from the moment the teenager had walked in the door that something had been bothering her, but it wasn't clear what the problem was. "How are you?"

"I'm fine," the girl said hesitantly.

Juliette raised her eyebrows, curious over what teen drama she'd get to hear about this week. "That isn't convincing."

"Mom's being stupid again." Ah, so that was the problem. "I want to start playing some shows. Some of the places in town have afternoon slots for younger performers but she won't let me do it. She says after school is for homework and spending time with friends. And what's worse is that Dad and even Deacon agrees with her. I don't even see what the point of finishing school is. I'm going to be a singer."

The blonde sighed, knowing that all Maddie wanted was for Juliette to side with her. But she couldn't. Not this time. "Maddie, I get why you're upset, but Rayna really is just looking out for you. She doesn't want you to grow up too fast."

"I wish she would just stop and let me do this." Crossing her arms, Maddie leaned back in the chair, a well-practiced pout playing on her face. "It's really unfair."

For a moment, the room was quiet. Juliette bit her lip, unable to keep her mind from racing back to those years in the trailer park with Jolene. She couldn't help the tears that sprung in her eyes. "You're lucky, you know, to have a mom who cares about you so much that she's willing to be unpopular with you to make sure that your taken care of. That's brave of her. She loves you and she wants to see you succeed. But part of that is school."

"You didn't finish high school and you are doing fine," Maddie quickly pointed out in a way that girls tend to perfect over the course of a middle school career.

Juliette had known she would throw that back at her. She scoffed, but smiled over at the girl who in many ways had become her closest friend. "You're right. I didn't. And now I'll have to explain to this one here," she said as she rubbed her belly, "why that is one day. It was a choice I made. But I can't help but think that maybe, if I had finished school, had a normal life and a mother who cared enough about me to make sure that happened, I wouldn't have made a lot of the mistakes I did. I'll never know if that's true or not. But I'll always wonder." It was a sobering thought for Maddie. Where would she wind up if her mother didn't care about her so much. "I think you are a pretty lucky young lady to have a two dads and a mom who love you so much. You've got some pretty great parents."

"I guess you're right," Maddie nodded, as she picked at a loose thread at the bottom of her school uniform skirt, unable to look up.

The older woman took a deep breath before admitting something to Maddie that she had never admitted to anyone before. "You know, I always wanted to follow in your mother's footsteps career-wise. Now I just hope I can be half as good a mother to my baby as Rayna is to you and to Daphne."

Maddie's head snapped up toward Juliette on the couch. "You're going to be a great mom, Juliette!"

"I wish I was as confident as you are." Juliette gave the girl a half-smile and then looked back out the window to avoid her curious eyes. "I didn't have a good example. My mama wasn't a very good one."

"Because of the drugs?"

Juliette glanced up at Maddie, at her innocent question. At that moment, Juliette could see the contrast between the girl Maddie had been and the young woman that she hadn't fully become yet. Yes it was the drugs ... but also the alcohol, the abuse, the men that her mama let roam around the trailer - including her daughter's bedroom - at all hours of the night. But the girl didn't need to know that. Maddie had been so sheltered, had so little knowledge of the world outside Belle Meade. There was no reason to shatter that bubble she lived in. So Juliette nodded. "Truth is, I have no idea how to be a good mama and I'm terrified of screwing up like Jolene did."

"Maybe now you know what not to do." It sounded so simple coming from Maddie.

It hit Juliette that maybe is really was that simple. She was just making it complicated in her own mind. As she was thinking the words through in her head, footsteps in the entry way pulled her attention away. They both looked up to see Avery walking in.

"Hey."

"Hey, I thought you'd be at the studio for another hour or so."

He rolled his eyes as he dropped his keys on the table. "Gunnar and Zoey couldn't stop fighting long enough to get the demo down. There was something going on before they even walked into the studio and then about three takes into it, Gunnar tells her that the vocal needs to be 'lighter' and 'more ethereal' to which she responded by asking if he meant more like Scarlett." Both Juliette and Maddie's eyes got big as he told his story. "It probably would have been fine if he'd just denied it, but Gunnar's an idiot and ... anyway, Zoey stormed out and he went after her and they never came back. So either they are still screaming at each other, he's lying in a ditch somewhere or they made up an are - " He stopped himself as Juliette shot him a look and he remembered that there were young ears in the room. "Basically, we got absolutely nothing done today."

"I'm sorry."

"How are you feeling?" he asked as he moved to sit down.

Juliette shrugged. "Pretty good. Better after Maddie got here. Guess I needed some girl time."

Sitting at the Juliette's feet, Avery nodded and glanced over at the girl who was still plucking the strings of the Gibson in her hands. "I like that melody."

"Really?" Maddie looked up in surprise at the compliment. "It's just something I started with Deacon the other day. Not sure yet what it's going to be. We didn't get very far into it."

"Play us what you have so far," Avery encouraged her with a smile.

"Oh, I don't know," she said as a slight blush began to creep up her neck. "It's probably not that good."

"Go on, Maddie," Juliette pushed lightly. "It's just us. You've played for me a hundred times."

"I know, but ..." she looked over at Avery self consciously. She had gotten to know Avery a little bit over the past few months, but not enough to really feel comfortable playing in the one on one setting like this. Plus, she knew he was a producer and an extremely talented one at that, and she didn't want to embarrass herself. Juliette could read the girl like a book and was about to try to diffuse the situation, when Avery stood up and walked over to a corner where he kept one of his own guitars. He had been there so much since she was ordered to bedrest that it just made sense to keep one there.

He sat back down and looked up at Maddie. "How about I play it with you. You started out in C, right?"

Juliette watched as Maddie's face lit up and the two began to go through the song together. She couldn't help but notice the ease that Avery fell into the song with Maddie, and she had to fight the tears threatening in her eyes as she saw what she hoped was a glimpse of the future. Him sitting in their home teaching their little girl, who she hoped looked just like him, to play the guitar or the piano ... it was a vision she had to shake from her mind, bracing herself that it might not ever happen. At least not like she dreamed it would.

For the next hour, Avery and Maddie worked on the song, tweaking the lyrics and the melody until the song was perfect. Juliette contributed a little, but mostly just sat back and watched. The younger girl was all smiles when she packed her things and walked toward the front door. "Thanks for the help, Avery."

He smiled at her as he walked her to the door. "You're welcome. Just don't let Deacon get mad at me for helping you finish the song."

"He'll get over it!" Maddie laughed and then looked back at her friend on the sofa. "Bye, Juliette!"

"Bye, girl!" Juliette waved as Maddie disappeared.

Avery made sure she got to her dad's car and the turned back into the house, shutting the door behind him. "That was fun," he said as he walked back into the living room.

"More fun than being stuck in a studio with Gunnar and Zoey?" she asked, teasing him.

"Infinitely!" Avery sat down on the nearby ottoman and stared at Juliette for a minute. She felt herself blushing slightly under his gaze, wishing he would say something. When he finally did, it wasn't at all what she was expecting. "I'm terrified too. That I'll turn out just like my dad. You aren't the only one."

She couldn't keep the mystified look off her face. She had no idea where this was coming from.

"I heard you talking to Maddie. Earlier." He sighed, locking his eyes with hers. "About being scared that you would turn out just like Jolene."

"You heard that?" Juliette asked, as he nodded. It hadn't been intended for him. For a moment, that upset her, but as she looked at him ... at the understanding in his blue eyes, and the caring smile he shot her way ... she realized more than she ever had before how much alike they really were. Stubborn and determined products of the environments they escaped, artists with a dream of creating music. Now parents of a destined to be beautiful baby girl. Maddie was right. She - they - could be everything her mother and Ed weren't. "I just ... I want to do everything different. Than she did, I mean."

"I know," Avery said simply.

For a moment it was just the two of them. Or the three of them, as the child inside of her belly decided to make her presence known at that second with a swift kick just below Juliette's ribcage. She subconsciously rubbed at the spot and suppressed a giggle. Then she looked back up at him. "We're going to be okay, right. I mean, not much choice at this point, but we can do this."

He took her hand in his and squeezed gently. "Yeah. We can. We've got a lot to talk about. But we'll make it work."

* * *

Next chapter will be all Juliette and Avery, I promise!


	4. Baby's On The Way

**Between the Lines: If I Only Knew Then**

**Chapter 4: Baby's On The Way**

Told you this would be a two chapter weekend. I was so excited about this chapter, I couldn't wait to post it. Plus I wanted to get a few more of these done before season 3 starts.

This may be my favorite chapter of this series thus far, because its all Juliette and Avery. Sweet pre-baby moments ahead. Enjoy!

Same disclaimers.

* * *

It was unfair really. She'd spent all that time on bed rest, praying that the baby wouldn't come early. Now it seemed like the kid had taken up permanent residence in her uterus. Two days past her due date, Juliette was miserable. Her OB had told her that if the baby wasn't delivered in three more days, they would induce. Currently, however, her feet and ankles were swollen beyond recognition, her face was puffy, and she was constantly burning up. Which is why the terrace sofa was her location of choice.

"The weather man said there is a chance of snow tonight."

"Great." Juliette responded to Avery with absolutely no enthusiasm whatsoever. She glanced up at him as he lingered in the doorway, clearly wanting to stay inside where it was warm, but not wanting her to be outside alone. "So we can get snowed in and not be able to get to the hospital, on the off chance she ever decides to make an appearance."

He stepped out into the cold air, pulling his leather jacket a little tighter around him. "It's like a half an inch they are expecting. It won't even stick to the roads."

That did it. She cut her eyes in his direction and glared at him. "How am I supposed to know that?!" she snapped. "I'm not from Ohio like you. We don't get snow down in South Alabama, remember."

"Yeah, but you've been in Nashville for like six years ..." he was going to continue, but her icy stare and raised eyebrows stopped him from sticking his foot even further into his mouth. "You sure you don't want to come inside? It's really cold out here," he said as he crossed his arms, still trying fight the chill in the air.

"It's like 102 in there!" She bit the words out.

"It's 74," he responded calmly.

Suddenly her shoulders slumped and she looked down at her hands. "You don't have to stay," she mumbled quietly, and Avery could tell she was trying not to cry.

He stepped fully out onto the terrace and sat down in the chair next to the couch. "Right, like I'm going to leave you here alone in your condition," he said sarcastically, she could still hear compassion and gentleness hidden just beneath the surface of his voice.

"You were the one who told Emily she could leave." She knew she sounded like a child. It was as if she had completely lost control of her emotions ... and she didn't like it.

Avery raised an eyebrow and tilted his head to look at Juliette. "She had a date tonight. She's been so busy making sure you are okay that her social life has suffered. That's why I wanted her to meet Paul." Avery had introduced Emily to a songwriter friend of his two weeks earlier and they hit it off immediately. He was secretly pretty pleased at his matchmaking skills, but he wouldn't say that around Juliette. She was less than thrilled to not have her assistant's full attention.

"Yeah, I know," she responded, a pout firm on her face.

Avery sighed and sat on the edge of the chair, leaning closer to her and meeting her eyes with his. "Plus, Juliette, do you honestly think that I wouldn't be here if Emily was? Sometime in the next seventy two hours, you're going to be giving birth to my daughter. Our little girl. I'm not going to chance missing that."

"I know. I'm sorry." She wiped away a tear. "I'm just in a mood. I am tired and I can't sleep. Every muscle in my body hurts. My feet are the size of pineapples and I just want things to be normal again." By the time she stopped talking, she was nearly sobbing. She struggled to sit up and place her feet on the ground.

"And they will be," Avery said as he moved to help her. Once she was sitting up, he sat down beside her. "Although, I think that what we both considered normal won't ever be normal again. But that's okay. It's a good thing."

Juliette rubbed her large round belly as she fought to regain her composure. "I just want her here."

He nodded, knowing that feeling of anxiousness all too well. He'd felt it since the moment she told him she was pregnant in that hospital room all those months ago. "Me too."

"And I'm scared about labor," she admitted. "She keeps getting bigger the longer she's in there and I'm terrified of the pain." She looked over at him with pitiful red-rimmed eyes and all he saw was terror in them. "I don't know if I can do it. I've heard all these horror stories and ..."

He placed a finger on her lips to quiet her worries and smiled at her with reassurance. "You can do this, Juliette. Women have been having babies since the beginning of time. You'll be fine. Plus, I hear they have really good pain medication on the labor and delivery floor. And I'll be right there with you the whole time."

Juliette shot a genuine smile in his direction. "Have you talked to your mom? When is she coming down?"

"Assuming we won't be going to the hospital until Saturday," Avery said with a sigh, "they will probably come down tomorrow. Should be here by dark."

"You're dad's coming too?" It surprised her. Diane had made several trips on her own, for a few baby showers and to help out while she was on bedrest, but Juliette hadn't seen Ed since the trial was over. She knew Avery had spoken to him occasionally, but nothing substantial had come from it.

"She says they are both coming," he answered with a shrug. It was a topic he still tried to avoid as much as possible.

"That's good," she nodded. She tried to push herself off the sofa, but was unsuccessful. "Can you help me up?"

"Bathroom break?" he asked, knowing her well.

"Why else would I be getting up?" she asked sarcastically.

Juliette waddled from the terrace into her bedroom and bathroom. As she moved back through the room afterwards, she passed the bassinet that was ready and waiting in the corner, and she paused. Running her fingers over the beautiful dark wood cradle that Deacon had found in a barn somewhere and had refinished as a baby gift, Juliette smiled, thinking of how soon it would be filled with her little bundle of joy. Resting on top of the tiny mattress was the soft white blanket that Avery's mother had quilted, the letters EBB monogrammed in pale pink letters. Evelyn Barnes Barkley. They had debated the name for a long time. But in the end, it was Diane who had suggested Evelyn. It was the name of her grandmother, who had instilled a love of music in her, which carried over to Avery and grew exponentially. Both Juliette and Avery loved it.

Juliette bent to straighten the quilt once more, when she froze. Her eyes went wide and she glanced down at the leg of the sweatpants she was wearing. "Avery!" she called, knowing he had gone into the living room to warm up after she had come inside. She waited for a moment and then called again.

This time he appeared immediately in the doorway. "What is it?" he asked, concern in his voice.

"I ... I think my water broke," she said, her eyes wide.

It seemed to take a few seconds for this news to register on Avery's face. When it did, he felt a rush of fear for a short time, but quickly regained his composure. He could tell that Juliette was about to go into panic mode and he knew that he had to stay as calm as possible to prevent that. He walked over and placed his hands gently on her shoulders. She relaxed at just his touch. "Okay. I'm going to go grab your bag and my keys. You just sit down on the bed and I'll be right back."

He turned to go, when she called his name again softly. He turned back to look at her.

"Next time we come back to the house she'll be with us," she said.

He nodded, clearly emotional at the thought.

"Thank you," she whispered. "For giving me a family."

He walked back into the room, placed a soft kiss on her forehead and then went to grab everything they needed.

Juliette placed a hand on her stomach and then quietly spoke to the little girl she would meet in just a few hours. "Thank you for being my family."


	5. After the Kiss

**Between the Lines: If I Only Knew Then**

**Chapter 5: After the Kiss**

This is the chapter I've been working toward since I started this series. In "If I Only Knew Then" Chapter 3, you saw the moment where everything came together again for Juliette and Avery, that kiss just outside their daughter's room. This is the aftermath of that moment. Hope you enjoy it. Also, now I get to start writing for Evie again! Don't forget to let me know what you think!

Same disclaimers...

* * *

A wail pierced through the silent morning just as the sun began to peek over the Tennessee hills. Juliette's eyes opened slowly and she began to wonder if she had been dreaming the night before. Glancing to her right, her eyes met his, just barely opening as the baby's cries began to register.

"This ... is different," he said, smiling at her. "Never used to wake up to that sound."

She smiled back as he pressed a kiss to her nose. "Never used to wake up this early, either."

He sat up, grabbing his boxers from the floor beside the bed. "I've got her," he said as he pulled them on and walked out of the room.

Juliette watched as he disappeared and then leaned back into the soft pillows. She pulled the comforter up tighter around her and thought back to the night before. He had surprised her. More than surprised her, really. It was so unexpected, him admitting that he was ready to love her again. She was beginning to think that it was never going to happen. To be certain, it was different. Obviously things had changed. Her body was different after carrying a baby for nine months. He had scars left over from the attack and subsequent surgeries. But as his hands lingered on the muscles of her abdomen, not nearly as tight and defined as they had once been, and her fingers tentatively traced the raised marks left by a knife and scalpels, they managed to fall right back into their passionate affair. With the feel of his skin against hers, the taste of his lips ... it was as if they were making love for the first time again. And it was perfect.

Juliette was pulled from the memory of the night before when the crying suddenly got louder and Avery reappeared, screaming red-faced infant in his arms. "Changed her diaper, but that didn't help. I think she's hungry."

"She always is first thing in the morning." Juliette took Evie into her arms, and placed her up against her breast where the child immediately latched on, clearly ravenous. At that moment, she couldn't look up at Avery. The feelings of guilt over the fact that he had missed every morning of Evie's life so far weighed heavily on her. Up to that point, he had stayed nights at his apartment, coming over every day to spend time with their daughter. It was the best they could do until the baby was weened onto the bottle, something that she was fighting. For his part, Avery hadn't complained once. But Juliette couldn't help but feel that it had been unfair to him.

Suddenly his hand lifted her face so that he could look her in the eye. "Don't."

"Don't what?" she asked hating that even after all this time he still had the innate ability to read her mind.

"You have guilt in your eyes and you won't even look at me. You have nothing to feel guilty about. So stop."

Juliette sighed as small tears sprang to her eyes. "It's just ... it hit me how this ... arrangement isn't fair to you."

Avery shook his head at her. "We agreed on it. You have nothing to feel bad about. She's just too young to be away from you at night right now. She won't always be." He settled back onto the pillow beside her and pulled her closer. She leaned into the crook of his arm and placed her head on his shoulder. "Plus ... I'm hoping to be here more mornings from now on." She smiled back at him as he looked down at Evie, running a finger against her soft cheek as she ate. "I could watch this forever."

His words grabbed at her heart. She knew she shouldn't ask. but she couldn't not know what last night meant to him. "Do you mean that?" she whispered.

For a moment there was silence. Then she felt a soft kiss to the top of her head. "I do. I don't want to be apart from you again. Either of you. Not even for a night."

"Even after ..." the words, the self-doubt, the unspoken sin, flew out of her mouth without her having a chance to stop them. She instantly wished she could take it back.

"All of that is the past, Juliette," he responded as she looked up into his eyes. "I realized last night when I was rocking Evie that I have to stop living in the past. With you. With my dad. With all of it." At that moment, Evie, still eating with vigor, grabbed onto his finger with her tiny hand. He couldn't help but smile down at her. "This, right here, is what I have to look forward to. Waking up next to you, going and picking my daughter up out of her crib. That is what I want to think about. Not what happened a year ago." Juliette could see the sincerity written all over his face. "Just do me a favor."

"What?"

He sighed and hesitated briefly. "Promise me that if you are ever feeling insecure or if you are ever second guessing how much I love you, that you will come talk to me. Don't ever let me push you to that point again. My heart can't take losing you a second time."

A wry smile appeared on her face. "And you'll talk me off the ledge?"

"I'm hoping to catch you before you make it that far."

For a time, she closed her eyes and just breathed him in. He was it for her and the fact that he came back, even though it took more than a year, solidified everything. "I promise. The stakes are too high now. With Evie here ... I owe it to her, to us, to let go of my issues."

He leaned in to kiss her gently. "We both do."

They sat in peaceful silence just taking in the moment. As their daughter finished nursing, Avery lifted her from Juliette's chest and laid her down on his lap. Wide blue eyes stared up at her parents, and for the first time she smiled up at them, as if she fully registered that something had changed. That they were really and truly together. One happy family.

* * *

**Thanks for reading and don't forget to review. It makes me want to write even more. Next up may or may not be Evie's first on-stage appearance. :)**


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